Blade Hairclub

Blade Hairclub has taken your trim to the next level. Billing itself as “hair clubbing”, this tiny gem is as much a bar as it is a barbers and hairdressers, with cocktails as good as the cuts. Opened by a bohemian couple five years ago (one half a musician and drinks aficionado, D.T. Stroo, the other half, Julia Olofsson, a hairdresser), Hair Blade spins vinyl all day every day, and its customers are the happiest in town.

How it raises the bar:

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Because...it is a bar. Don’t be fooled by the coffee station on the top deck because below is where the hard liquor (and all the fun) is at. Take a seat and pull up the screen to your right. Yep, you can watch Netflix, and order a cocktail from the menu. Come the end of the month, look out for the jazz musicians who like to jam by the bar at dusk.

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Barber & Parlour

Barber & Parlour couldn’t be more obviously owned by Soho House if it tried. There’s a buzzy open kitchen serving breakfast, brunch and all-day bites, a hip hairdresser with a celebrity chopper at the helm and dedicated grooming salons for both men and women.

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Greenwood

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The brothers behind ETM Group (The Botanist, The Jugged Hare) opened this multifaceted behemoth in January opposite Victoria Station. Seventies frat-boy style pervades the complex, which includes a restaurant and pub alongside Sharps, the barbershop.

How it raises the bar: Four copper beer tanks and more than 60 gins, boutique whiskies and independent ales. Pull up a stool or head to the terrace.

The woman to do your ’do:Senior snipper Orla Braiden is the girl with the golden touch.

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Trade Union

Why have one face when you can have many? That’s the idea behind Grand Union’s 6,700 sq ft playground, which includes a coffee roaster, pizzeria, florist and barber Drake’s Of London, where leather upholstery and concrete floors set the tone for old-school treatments.

How it raises the bar: If you’ve parked yourself up on the “penthouse” mezzanine level, you can exit via an industrial slide. No, really.

The man to do your ’do: Barber Adam Hartley is the best with a blade.

Signature sip: Celebrate spring with the English Garden (prosecco, gin, elderflower and mint).

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Ruffians

There’s not a brusque barber in sight at the Edinburgh-born group’s latest outpost, where staff are employed for their charisma (and, it seems, their beards). The Shoreditch site offers Mad Men style for the Netflix generation, with iPads for use while you wait.

How it raises the bar:A calendar of seasonal drink collaborations and complimentary tasting events keeps customers well quenched.

The man to do your ’do:Tommy Cunliffe knows every bar manager in Shoreditch and can fix your evening plans, too.

This was first published in GQ magazine. Subscribe now to get 6 issues of GQ for only £15, including free access to the interactive iPad and iPhone editions. Alternatively, choose from one of our fantastic digital-only offers, available across all devices.